Transformation Center

Put together a budgeting team that includes representatives from finance, technology, and curriculum and instruction departments. Also consider including students, parents, and other community stakeholders. Having these stakeholders involved can help your district clarify its priorities and build consensus. You may also choose to have different subgroups, for example a working group and an advisory group.

Make sure that your district has a strong vision to guide your transformation; if you don't, go to the vision pillar and create one before continuing with the budget process. With a strong vision in place, use the vision as a guide to agree upon funding priorities within your cross-functional team. Embrace the fact that resources are constrained and you will not be able to fund every worthy project. Prioritize all programs, initiatives, and other expenses based on their “learning return on investment.”

You should now have a good understanding of your current funding situation and your ideal funding situation. In order to move between the two, you'll need to make decisions, take actions, and start new programs.

Although you may have a pretty good idea about how to achieve your funding goals, consider taking some time to brainstorm to make sure you don't miss sources of funding or opportunities to save.

Now that you have measureable goals and have identified actions to meet those goals, organize this information into a funding plan for your transformation program. You will want to consider the following:

- Look for cost-saving strategies to implement

- Make sure that technology or other expenses are mapped to the appropriate funding streams

- Make funding plans for both the short term and long term

- Plan for financing transformation activities addressing professional development, culture, community engagement, curriculum and assessment, in addition to technology.

- Consider using zero-based budgeting to allocate resources where they are most effective.

Your funding plan should be a living thing that you revisit often and use to guide key expenditures. Review it regularly and make adjustments as needed, but always connect any adjustments back to your transformation vision.